Nightclub in
Liverpool,
UK. Started around 1993 in Wolstenholme Square, an open area surrounded by empty warehouses (and the Parr Street recording studios), between the city centre and chinatown.
After Cream started as a fairly small (300ish) capacity room and then expanded rapidly over the next few years to the 3000ish venue it is today, still standing on the same site, which looks from the outside like a WWII Anderson shelter combined with a warehouse.
Original promoters were
Darren Hughes and
James Barton.
Stuart Davenport had something to do with it too, I think he was the licensee of the Nation, (formerly the Academy), the club venue itself. They played host to many DJs who went on to become household names, and I personally remember watching the
Chemical Brothers (formerly the Dust Brothers) DJing in the Annexe in 1995 and being completely bowled over by it. Resident DJs were
Andy Carroll,
Paul Bleasdale and
James Barton.
On my first visit to Cream I remember the tune playing was "Hideaway" by D'Lacy, the Deep Dish remix, as I entered the club. The atmosphere smacked you in the face as you walked in - this was something completely different to anything that had gone before. I've had some incredible nights at Cream, the best one being the first time BBC Radio 1 broadcast live with Pete Tong from the main room. Unbelievable.
Anyway, Barton and Hughes fell out and Hughes left to set up
Home in London, which I was always gutted about because I think they really were the Dream Team together. Barton has continued to expand the Cream brand globally, and is doing well out of it. I don't get to go to Cream these days, I feel like I grew out of it to be honest, and I found a bigger hit along the way -
Gatecrasher. Although that's disappeared up its own bottom recently so I may be travelling to Liverpool once again.